backchannel
Windows x64
For Windows 10 or later on 64-bit Intel or AMD processors.
- Download
Backchannel-windows-x64-v0.5.3.zip. - Unzip it and run
Backchannel.exe. - If SmartScreen appears, choose More info, then Run anyway.
Release v0.5.3
A call screen you can read, and signals you can act on.
The v0.5.2 bundles were built before the quieter call screen landed, so this is the first release to carry it: three strategic signal cards instead of five, a top bar without the setup information you already typed, a Debug readout that opens over the page, and a transcript column that folds to a rail. On top of it, the model now ranks which three signals you see, and every signal is filed as an insight you can star, dismiss and export.
Download Backchannel v0.5.3
These unsigned open-source builds are delivered through the Backchannel download portal. Downloads are open to everyone; no account or GitHub sign-in is required.
The Windows and Linux bundles include ffmpeg. On macOS, voice calibration and compressed audio imports still need ffmpeg on PATH.
macOS Apple Silicon
For Apple Silicon Macs. Intel macOS builds are not included in this release.
- Download
Backchannel-macos-arm64-v0.5.3.zip. - Unzip it and move
Backchannel.appwherever you keep apps. - Right-click
Backchannel.appand choose Open the first time.
Linux x64
A portable bundle for 64-bit Intel or AMD Linux systems.
- Download
Backchannel-linux-x64-v0.5.3.tar.gz. - Extract it with
tar -xzf Backchannel-linux-x64-v0.5.3.tar.gz. - Run
Backchannel/Backchannel.
What changed
v0.5.3 carries the quieter call screen that the v0.5.2 bundles were built without, and turns strategic signals into insights ranked by the model.
The live call screen is quieter
It had grown five strategic signal panels across the top, a conversation-type dropdown and a copy of the meeting context you typed during setup, a Debug button whose readout unfolded into the bar and pushed everything sideways, a separate signal History container, and the word "Listening" three times over. The panel now shows three signals, the setup information is gone from the bar, and Debug is a small icon whose readout opens over the page instead of rearranging it.
The model chooses which three signals you see
The panel used to fill its slots in a fixed order - signal, then risk, then next question - so the same two kinds always won and an opportunity or action cue only appeared when an earlier slot was empty. The analysis now ranks everything it produces by what you can act on right now, and the top three take the panel.
Every strategic signal is an insight
Each signal now appears in the insight list as a card of its own, so you can star it, vote on it, dismiss it and export it like any other insight, and a dismissed signal stays dismissed even if the analysis raises it again. The Strategic filter is the whole strategic picture: the three signals on the panel, everything else the current cycle produced, and the three most recently retired signals, which also stay under the History filter. Filter chips with nothing behind them no longer render.
The analyst stops repeating itself
Each analysis pass now sees a compact list of everything already on the board - not just the open questions - and is told to add only what is new, so an observation raised at minute 12 no longer comes back at minute 40 in fresh words.
The transcript column folds away
Collapse the live transcription to a narrow rail when you want the insights to have the screen, and open it again in one click. Starting a call also collapses the session sidebar, so the call view opens at full width.
The live transcript is searchable
A quiet magnifier in the transcription column's header - or Ctrl+F while the transcript is focused - opens an inline search: matches highlight in place, Enter and Shift+Enter step through them, and Esc returns to the live tail. While a search is open the view holds its place instead of following new speech.
The desktop updater introduces itself
Update checks were being turned away at the download portal's edge because the request carried a generic Python browser signature rather than the application's name, and the check gave up after five seconds on a slow connection. From this version the updater identifies itself as Backchannel and waits ten seconds. An install on v0.5.2 or earlier cannot see this release from inside the app, so fetch it from the portal once; updates after that are in-app again.
First-run notes
| Need | What to do |
|---|---|
| Release access | Nothing - downloads are open to everyone; no account or sign-in is required. |
| Provider key | Follow the guided setup on first launch, or add a key later in Admin -> Connections. Calls will not start until the transcription model has a usable credential; local ONNX transcription needs none. |
| Voice calibration | Works out of the box on Windows and Linux. On macOS, install ffmpeg and make sure it is on PATH before enrolling your voice. |
| Upgrading | An install on v0.5.2 or earlier will not see this release from inside the app: download the bundle above, quit the old version from the tray, and run the new one. Session data is stored per-user and shared by every version. From v0.5.3 onward the app updates itself in place again: it verifies the new build's signature first and waits for recording and post-processing to finish before restarting. The Admin About tab shows a what's-new notice after upgrading. |
| Desktop launch | Backchannel opens a dedicated local app window in your default browser when it supports app windows, otherwise it uses a standard browser tab. It remains available from the system tray or menu bar. |
| Docker | Check out the v0.5.3 source tag and rebuild Compose to run the same release through containers. |
Start with the desktop app or self-host the stack
Both paths run Backchannel on your machine. Choose the desktop bundle for the fastest start, or Compose for maximum control.